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Thanksgiving 2015 Visitor’s Guide To Philadelphia

November 14, 2015 6:00 AM

Photo Credit: Thinkstock

Philadelphia is a popular destination for Thanksgiving travelers, and, luckily, there’s a lot more to do in the City of Brotherly Love than just talk turkey. Out-of-town guests will want to make the obligatory pit stop to see Liberty Bell, so the city’s tourism office, located in Independence Mall, is the perfect place to start any visit to Philadelphia. Read on for information about Philadelphia’s visitor’s center and for more on some must-see stops while visiting Philadelphia.

The Independence Visitor Center is the official visitor center of Philadelphia and the surrounding region, which includes including Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties. The Center is a one-stop hub for all things Philly, with complete lists and links to all of the area’s museums, parks, tours, events and other attractions. Before starting on your sight-seeing, stop by to check on any special events, offers, and get some help planning your itinerary.

It wouldn’t be Philadelphia without at least one patriotic pit stop, so why not make it the National Constitution Center? The 160,000-square-foot National Constitution Center puts a spotlight on the Constitution via high-tech exhibits and interactive displays. The Center also boasts the 350-seat Kimmel Theater, which features a multimedia production of the ‘We the people” story on a 360-degree screen. Signers’ Hall features life-size bronze figures of the Constitution’s famous names, and one of the rare original public copies of the Constitution is also on display.

The Franklin Institute isn’t just for science geeks. This landmark area attraction features hands-on exhibits and interactive attractions that explore everything from sports to space. Some of the Franklin Institute’s signature stations include the virtual sports challenge, the train factory’s climb-aboard steam engine and a fully equipped weather station, so guests can explore their inner meteorologist.

Autumn is in full bloom at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square. For early-bird Thanksgiving travelers (through November 22), the festive Autumn’s Colors display and the 20,000-bloom Chrysanthemum Festival will still be on display. After that, Christmas comes to Longwood, and it’s quite a show. Year-round, Longwood is known for its acres of gorgeous gardens and conservatories, as well as its nighttime light and sound show, Nightscape.

One of the most popular tourist steps in Philly, the Philadelphia Museum of Art is the third-largest art museum in the United States. But it’s not just the museum’s 200,000 pieces of artwork and 80 period-themed rooms that keeps people coming. Before visitors even walk in the museum, they can visit the famous “Rocky” statue, which is to the right of the base of the art museum’s entrance steps. Climbing the “Rocky Steps” is a rite of passage for any fan of Sylvester Stallone’s iconic “Rocky” movie franchise, which was filmed in Philadelphia. The statue is a popular tourist photo stop, while tens of thousands of people recreate Rocky’s run up the art museum steps every year.